Click to view Lenten Resources

Click to view Lenten Resources

Respect Life for Clergy

The Respect Life Office welcomes you to the Updated Clergy page.

For pro-life events and latest updates see below.

Blessing of a Child in the Womb

The “Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb” was crafted to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for — and recognition of — the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It may be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass.

Word of Life – A monthly prayer resource available in English and Spanish

A Preachable Message: The Dynamics of Preaching Natural Family Planning(Second Edition) – designed to help clergy preach about natural family planning. This book features an introduction by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago and offers ideas from bishops and priests throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Vatican. “Clergy often simply don’t know the words to say when talking about ‘Humanae Vitae’ and natural family planning,” said Sue Ek, executive director of the St. Paul-based association. “This book not only gives the personal experiences of clergy but adds a dozen homilies and a chapter called ‘Scriptural Opportunities’ which will assist priests in developing homilies throughout the three-year liturgical calendar,” Sue Ek added, calling it “a tangible tool that will help clergy get the word out that the church has a beautiful, courageous teaching that helps marriages.” Available In First Addition

Our Mission: The mission of the Respect Life Office is to enunciate and promote the principle that human life, at all stages from conception to natural death, is a gift from God, worthy of respect and protection. This ministry encompasses prayer, education, advocacy, care and services. View or download mission statement

Commitment Ceremony for Respect Life Ministers: This service may take place during the Sunday Eucharist following the homily, or in the context of Evening Prayer. Service to the local community is a focus and a motive for this gathering. The parish community should be present for this event.

A Campaign In Support Of Life: In our present social context, marked by a dramatic struggle between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death,” there is need to develop a deep critical sense, capable of discerning true values and authentic needs. What is urgently called for is a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life. – Blessed John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, no. 95

Respect Life Parish Ministry Educational Overview Training

This is a training for all parish members who would like to know more about Respect Life and become involved in Respect Life Ministry.

The Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Rockville Centre is inviting ALL parish members who would like to know more about Respect Life or become involved in Respect Life Ministry.

These online training sessions will help explain Parish Respect Life Ministry and will provide resources and directions to educate and support Respect Life issues.

This training will help those interested in becoming a Respect Life Leader or for someone who wishes to become involved with an existing Respect Life Committee in a parish.

At the end of the training one will receive a certificate of completion in Respect Life Ministry and as a committee member or leader one will become directly involved with the Diocesan Respect Life Office. The Respect Life Office will provide you with important information that you can share with your parish community. This information will help educate others respectfully and responsibly on life issues in accordance with Catholic teachings and in support of building a culture for life.

Be Not Afraid

A brief reflection exploring God’s assurance of being with us in times of trial and encourages us to extend his love to others who suffer.

When battered by life’s storms, or immersed in a dense fog of suffering and uncertainty, we may feel alone and unequipped to handle the circumstances. Yet with words that echo through thousands of years into the corners of our hearts, the Lord says to us, “Do not fear: I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).

He speaks these words not as one who merely observes our pain, but as one who experienced immense suffering. And the very wounds that bear witness to his suffering indicate the essence of our identity and worth: we are loved by God.

Reflecting on the healed wounds of the Risen Christ, we see that even our most difficult trials can be the place where God manifests his victory. He makes all things beautiful. He makes all things new.

He is always with us. Jesus promised this when he gave the disciples the same mission he gives to each of us: Go.

Go be my hands and feet to a world enslaved by fear. Go to the woman who is unexpectedly pregnant and fears the future. Go to your friend who fears reprisal at work because he takes a stand for the protection of human life. Go to your aging parent in failing health who fears being a burden. And go to others, too, for their support.

We don’t need to have everything figured out. We can simply follow the guidance of Our Blessed Mother, the first disciple: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

Walk with each other. Do not be afraid to embrace God’s gift of life. Whatever storms or trials we face, we are not alone. He is with us.

“Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” MATTHEW 28:20

As Catholics, we know that death is the door through which we must pass to gain eternal life. Several considerations are provided as starting points for understanding and preparing for our earthly passing in a way that respects God’s gift of human life.

Polls indicate the public is receptive to the general concept of assisted suicide. However, when people understand the associated dangers, they are less likely to support the practice. Learn compelling reasons you can share for opposing assisted suicide.

Respect Life Program 2016-17

Moved By Mercy

He lay helpless and alone on the roadside, half dead from the robbers’ merciless beating. Two travelers came upon the injured man, but rather than offer assistance, they simply avoided him. Finally, a third passerby “was moved with compassion at the sight” of him (Luke 10:33) and went out of his way to help.

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, wecan see ourselves in each person. Like the robbers, we have hurt others. Like the priest and the Levite, we have failed to show compassion. Like the injured traveler, we have suffered in body and spirit, feeling rejected and alone. Yet God never stops offering each of us his mercy, “a concrete reality with which he reveals his love” (MV 6). We have been treated with mercy ourselves, and Jesus tells us to “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37), giving us the roadmap of the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.

Each person “has a place in God’s heart from all eternity” (AL 168). Within this context, Pope Francis reminds us, “we are called to protect our humanity, and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created” (AL 56). Like the Good Samaritan, may we always treat each person with merciful love and respect that affirms the gift of his or her life.

There are no Pro Life Events at this time please check back at another time.

ck at another time.

Every Life Is Worth Living

Whether it lasts for a brief moment or for a hundred years, each of our lives is a good and perfect gift.
At every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love. Our relationships on earth are meant to help us and others grow in perfect love. We are meant to depend on one another, serve each other in humility, and walk together in times of suffering.

An elderly man whose health is quickly deteriorating; an unborn baby girl whose diagnosis indicates she may not live very long; a little boy with Down syndrome; a mother facing terminal cancer-each may have great difficulties and need assistance, but each of their lives is a good and perfect gift.

Experiencing suffering-or watching another suffer-is one of the hardest human experiences. But we are not alone. Christ experienced suffering more deeply than we can comprehend, and our own suffering can be meaningful when we unite it with his. Jesus is with us every step of the way, giving us the grace we need. God invites us to embrace the lives we have been given, for as long as they are given.

ere are no Pro Life Events at this time please check back at another time.

Respect Life Program 2014-15

“Each of us is a masterpiece of God’s creation,” the new Respect Life theme by Pope Francis, is the focus of the 2014-2015 Respect Life Program. Below are resources available for implementing the program.

Respect Life Program 2016-17

“Moved by Mercy”

God made each of us in his own image and likeness. He desires to be united with us forever in a loving relationship. God loves us, treats us with respect, and asks us to do the same with others. Every person is sacred and must be treated with the dignity they deserve. No one should ever be treated callously or carelessly—everyone should be cherished and protected!

Respect Life Program 2015-16

“Every Life Is Worth Living”

Christ experienced suffering more deeply than we can comprehend, and our own suffering can be meaningful when we unite it with his. Jesus is with us every step of the way, giving us the grace we need. God invites us to embrace the lives we have been given, for as long as they are given.

Respect Life Program 2014-15

“Each of Us is a Masterpiece of God’s Creation”

Pope Francis has captivated the world with his humility, warmth and compassion for each person. Vivid accounts of his tenderness for “the least of these”—the elderly, the imprisoned, those with disfiguring disabilities, the unborn, and many more— seize our attention. Why? At the heart of each of these interactions is a truth which resonates in our hearts, revealing to us something essential to understanding ourselves and our purpose. We are loved. – Respect Life Program 2014-15 Statement

The doctors and healthcare professionals at The National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility, provide general gynecological care, prenatal care, natural family planning education, and infertility services – all with a deep commitment to honoring a woman’s dignity and the sanctity of human life.* The National Gianna Center is dedicated to providing a more natural alternative to assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Comprehensive gynecologic primary care and specialized fertility and family planning techniques are used to unmask the true causes of infertility for all women, regardless of faith. We are pleased to be the first medical practice in the community to feature two new women’s health services:

The FertilityCare System

NaProTECHNOLOGY
These two unique services allow us to provide you with a natural, restorative, scientifically based approach to monitoring your health and managing your fertility.

*The Gianna Center is committed to providing medical care that is consistent with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services.

For more information about The Gianna Center on Long Island click here

Call the 24-hour for National Hotline 1-800-712-HELP (4357) or visit OPTIONLINE.ORG for Pregnancy Options &

Resources

Immediate Medical Supportive Care including a sonogram for a woman or family with a Crisis Pregnancy or Unplanned Pregnancy. Please call and state “This is a crisis pregnancy referral” and provide the person’s name.

If you have suffered from abortion, you may be experiencing:
Guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, nightmares, substance abuse, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts.
These are some of the symptoms of Post-Abortion Stress. The pain is real, but you do not have to suffer alone. Our God of Mercy wants to heal you and give you the peace He desires you to have. There are people dedicated to helping you– do not be afraid to reach out for help.

If you have suffered from abortion, you may be experiencing:
Guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, nightmares, substance abuse, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts.
These are some of the symptoms of Post-Abortion Stress. The pain is real, but you do not have to suffer alone. Our God of Mercy wants to heal you and give you the peace He desires you to have. There are people dedicated to helping you– do not be afraid to reach out for help.

ENTERING CANAAN, is a retreat developed by the Sisters of Life and Theresa Bonopartis, to help those suffering the effects of abortion. Retreats offer participants a safe place, a way out of the pain, in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Retreats are led by an experienced team including faithful priests who have a sensitivity and a heart for those who suffer. Our Days of Prayer and Healing include: Stories of mercy, scripture sharing, personal prayer, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Prayer for the Ministry of Project Rachel

Father, source of healing and forgiveness, we pray for all parents overwhelmed by grief and sorrow at the loss of their son or daughter to abortion:

You never abandon those who hope in you; so we pray that the hearts of those wounded by their abortion might be open to your Divine Mercy that they would know the grace of repentance and so experience the embrace of the Father.
We pray that Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
so rich in love and compassion, may hear the cry and see the tears of each of these mothers and fathers so He may heal their broken hearts and restore them to life.
Give these grieving mothers and fathers the consolation of believing and trusting that her child is now living in the Lord that this may soothe the terror of their soul.
We pray that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of all tenderness and our Mother, may strengthen their faith in You.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, who conquered sin and death, and who lives with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

No One Told Me I Could Cry by Connie Corso Nykiel – Connie Corso Nykiel writes from her wealth of experience as a nurse working with pregnant young women and grieving women. Hers is a message of joy and hope for those who have experienced abortion. She reveals how it is only in grieving that they can find healing and truly be reconciled to God and their child. Through the guidance of an experienced professional, they can learn to cry and find fullness of life. This books is a treasured guide to healing for those who have experienced abortion. It also provides an abundance of information for teachers, counselors, pastors, social workers, health care workers and all those who work with post abortive and/or pregnant teens.

Abortion & Healing: A Cry To Be Wholeby Michael T. Mannion – This book is the epitome of a living and compassionate
response to the woman who has had an abortion. As such, it will be welcomed by all pro-life people who are seeking to serve both the mother and her unborn child. Dr. Wanda Franz, Developmental Psychologist University of West Virgin

“Life is always a good. …The life which God gives man is quite different from the life of all other living creatures, inasmuch as man … is a manifestation of God in the world, a sign of his presence, a trace of his glory. … Man has been given a sublime dignity, based on the intimate bond which unites him to his Creator: in man there shines forth a reflection of God himself.”2

Each human being is unique, unrepeatable, and infinitely precious to God. In becoming man and by his death on the cross, Jesus showed us the incomparable value of each human life, making his human life the “instrument of the salvation of all humanity!” (The Gospel of Life, no. 33).

Assisted Suicide Legislation Letter

A Letter from Most Reverend William Murphy

March 3, 2015

Catholics in the State of New York, particularly those in our Diocese, should be very alarmed by
movements promoting assisted suicide legislation. As we are doing now with the Education Investment Tax Credit and have done in the past about important issues regarding life, we must work together to
educate, inform and encourage our people to engage actively in pushing back any legislation which compromises the gift of life.

While we do not expect this issue to come to the forefront until after the budget is settled, it is important to raise awareness and encourage appropriate action now.

Assisted Suicide Videos

Maggie’s Story

Maggie was diagnosed with brain cancer and strongly opposes assisted suicide. Hear this story of a strong woman with much left to give to her family and society. She has a powerful story of hope and courage – and that no doctor can put a timetable on anyone’s life.

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Physician Assisted Suicide – The Real Effects

Insurance companies are denying treatment & access to patients who want it. Dr. Callister’s first hand experience with his patients is disturbingThis is yet another example of the dangerous failures of assisted suicide from the patient’s and medical community’s perspective.

Health care in the United States is marked by extraordinary challenges, both medical and moral. In the revised Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, the bishops reaffirm the Church’s commitment to health care ministry and to the ethical standards that flow from the Church’s teaching on the dignity of the human person. Booklets can be ordered here. Also available in Spanish.

The Need for the Conscience Protection Act of 2017 Questions and Answers

The Conscience Protection Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Diane Black (R-TN) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) on January 24, 2017 (H.R. 644) and in the Senate by
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on February 3 (S. 301). An identical bill, the Conscience Protection Act of 2016, passed the House on July 13, 2016 on a bi-partisan vote of 245-182 but was not considered by the Senate. Every year since 2013 such language has also been included in the House’s proposed Labor/HHS appropriations bill. The Conscience Protection Act would make more effective and permanent the protections of the

Hyde/Weldon conscience amendment, approved by Congress as part of this appropriations act every year since 2004. It would also ensure that victims of discrimination under that policy, and under the Church amendment of 1973, have a right of action to protect their rights in court. Answers to possible questions follow.

Is this a solution in search of a problem?
Has anyone actually been discriminated against for refusing to do abortions? There are many such cases of discrimination. Cathy DeCarlo, a nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital in
New York, was forced to take part in the gruesome dismemberment of a 22-week-old unborn child in 2009, and saw no resolution of her complaint to the HHS Office of Civil Rights (HHS/OCR) until 2013. Nurses have been told by Vanderbilt University and by a state-run medical center in New York that they must assist in abortions against their consciences. On June 21, 2016, the HHS/OCR declared that the State of California may continue forcing all health plans under its jurisdiction to cover elective abortions—in violation of the plain text of the Hyde/Weldon amendment. Violations of Hyde/Weldon are also taking place in bother states, such as New York and Washington. And in 2011, a major Catholic organization providing exemplary service for victims of human trafficking was denied a federal grant to continue its work, in large part because it would not pledge to send these victims only to health care providers willing to help provide abortions.

Why isn’t the Hyde/Weldon conscience clause sufficient?
Efforts to invoke this clause to protect conscience rights have uncovered limitations and loopholes that must be addressed. The clause has no “right of action” allowing victims to go to court, leaving their protection entirely in the hands of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – which, as mentioned previously, has failed to fully enforce Hyde/Weldon, has been the perpetrator of the discrimination, and in other cases has given this issue a low priority. Nurse DeCarlo, for example, had to wait almost four years for a response after being forced to take part in a late-term abortion under threat of losing her job. Moreover, the agency in the California case cited above claims it is not covered by Hyde/Weldon because this particular agency does not directly receive federal funds. And because that amendment is written as a “limitation of funds” rider, its only stated remedy for violations is a cutoff of all federal Labor/HHS/Education funds to an entire federal agency or state government. Some say such a massive penalty will never be applied in practice, and at least two lawsuits (dismissed at present for lack of a specific controversy) have claimed that it is unconstitutionally overbroad.

Holy Hour for Life and Liberty – [The following Holy Hour is a model based on the ritual book Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, which should be followed in all respects. The Scripture passages below are the Mass readings for October 20, 2012. This Holy Hour may be used throughout the year by substituting the Mass Readings of the day. A resource by the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship entitled Thirty-One Questions on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament may also be helpful in planning.]

Faithful Citizenship and Political Responsibility Information

“An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. ‘The just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics,’ the Church ‘cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.’ All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show concern for the building of a better world.” –Evangelii Gaudium no. 183

How to Talk about Religious Liberty – Religious freedom has recently become one of the major focal points in the conversation on how Americans can promote the common good. Our Catholic tradition has much to offer this conversation. In this time of increasing polarization in our culture, we can contribute to a better understanding of this issue in a way that respects all people. We can speak with friends and neighbors about religious freedom and work to clear up misconceptions about it.